Review: Death of a Kingfisher by M.C. Beaton

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (February 22, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446547360
• ISBN-13: 978-0446547369

Book Description 

Series: Hamish Macbeth | Publication Date: February 22, 2012

When Scotland is hit by the recession, Police Constable Hamish Macbeth notices that the Highland people are forced to come up with inventive ways to lure tourists to their sleepy towns. The quaint village of Braikie doesn't have much to offer, other than a place of rare beauty called Buchan's Wood, which was bequeathed to the town. The savvy local tourist director renames the woods "The Fairy Glen," and has brochures printed with a beautiful photograph of a kingfisher rising from a pond on the cover.

It isn't long before coach tours begin to arrive. But just as the town's luck starts to turn, a kingfisher is found hanging from a branch in the woods with a noose around its neck. As a wave of vandalism threatens to ruin Braikie forever, the town turns to Hamish Macbeth. And when violence strikes again,the lawman's investigation quickly turns from animal cruelty to murder.

About The Author

 M.C. BEATON has won international acclaim for her bestselling Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin mysteries. She is also the author of over 100 romance titles and a series of romantic suspense, The Edwardian Mystery Series. M. C. Beaton lives in a Cotswold cottage with her husband.

Marion is active on Facebook using her most popular pen name, M.C. Beaton. You can find complete book lists, information on events, and sign up for news updates at her website, www.MCBeaton.com.

My Review

I love M.C. Beaton.  Although the Agatha Raisin series is my favorite, I also enjoy the Hamish MacBeth series.  Death of a Kingfisher is the latest entry in the Hamish MacBeth series.  Poor Hamish, he continues to be unlucky in love but is great at solving mysteries!

Another great cozy read from M.C. Beaton!

Review: Getting Lucky by D.C.Brod

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Tyrus Books (December 18, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1440531951
• ISBN-13: 978-1440531958
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1 inches

Book Description

 

Publication Date: December 18, 2011

 

When a young reporter is killed in a hit and run accident, freelance writer Robyn Guthrie agrees to finish one of the stories the reporter had been writing for the local newspaper. But nothing is as simple as it seems when she finds out about shady land deals, an old high school nemesis, and Robyn's aging mother.

 

 

My Review

Getting Lucky is the sequel to Getting Sassy.  I have not read Getting Sassy and you do not have to read it to enjoy Getting Lucky.  There is plenty of action in this novel centered on a freelance writer,Robyn Guthrie, who is trying to solve a colleague's death.  The plot centers around a "green" housing development.  

Robyn is a realistic main character.  She is in her forties whose main challenge is life is her aging mother who is living in an assisted living facility. She is facing a future without her beau as she has decided it is too late to contemplate having children. 

There are lots of interesting characters and plenty of action. I'm looking forward to reading more Robyn Guthrie adventures.

Review: Rain Falls Like Mercy by Jack Todd

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (November 8, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416598510
• ISBN-13: 978-1416598510

 Book Description
 

Publication Date: November 8, 2011

 

Set against the sweeping backdrop of World War II, Rain Falls Like Mercy is a gripping depiction of a family and a country touched by the grand violence of war, the senseless violence of crime, and the intimate violence of the heart.

 

  IN THE TRADITION OF TRUE CRIME narratives such as In Cold Blood, acclaimed author Jack Todd’s new novel grips the reader from the first page; and as it spans continents and generations of one family, its taut and shocking undercurrent of violence builds to a stunning crescendo. Todd’s first novel, Sun Going Down, which introduced the Paint family, won praise from reviewers and major authors such as Michael Korda and Michael Blake. His second novel, Come Again No More, recounted the Paints’ saga of triumph and tragedy through the Great Depression, inspiring the Ottawa Citizen to label Todd “a first-rate novelist with a tender heart.”
 



Rain Falls Like Mercy opens with the murder investigation of a young girl in Wyoming in mid- 1941. Tom Call, the young sheriff running the investigation, falls in love with Juanita, the wife of Eli Paint, whose son Leo and grandson Bobby Watson are on duty with the U.S. Navy. Almost overnight, the case is derailed by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, disrupting the lives of all involved. Bobby mans an antiaircraft gun during the attack. Tom joins the U.S. Air Force and is deployed to England to fly bombers, still trying to pursue his murder investigation. His suspicion falls on Pardo Bury, the psychotic son of a wealthy rancher in Wyoming.
As Pardo and Tom make their ways to their inevitable and shattering confrontation, Rain Falls Like Mercy displays Todd’s uncanny ability to zero in on his characters’ emotional lives while simultaneously painting a sweeping picture of the historical events that shape their destinies.

Rain Falls Like Mercy opens with the murder investigation of a young girl in Wyoming in mid- 1941. Tom Call, the young sheriff running the investigation, falls in love with Juanita, the wife of Eli Paint, whose son Leo and grandson Bobby Watson are on duty with the U.S. Navy. Almost overnight, the case is derailed by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, disrupting the lives of all involved. Bobby mans an antiaircraft gun during the attack. Tom joins the U.S. Air Force and is deployed to England to fly bombers, still trying to pursue his murder investigation. His suspicion falls on Pardo Bury, the psychotic son of a wealthy rancher in Wyoming.

As Pardo and Tom make their ways to their inevitable and shattering confrontation, Rain Falls Like Mercy displays Todd’s uncanny ability to zero in on his characters’ emotional lives while simultaneously painting a sweeping picture of the historical events that shape their destinies.

About the Author

 

Jack Todd is the author of the novels Sun Going Down and Come Again No More and the memoir Desertion, which won the Quebec Writer’s Federation First Book Prize and the Mavis Gallant Prize for Non-Fiction. Visit his website at www.jacktoddtheauthor.com.


My Review

I wish that I had read Sun Going Down and Come Again No More because Jack Todd is an amazing writer.  You do not need to have read his first two novels to be able to enjoy Rain Falls Like Mercy.  What an amazing title and what an incredible read.

Rain Falls Like Mercy is partly a history novel as it is set during World War II.  It is also a story of love and a murder investigation as well.  Jack Todd's writing style makes Wyoming come alive for the reader.  The story can be violent at times so be warned. 

I do recommend this great book.  Jack Todd brings the West as well as World War II to life. 

Review: Love, Honour and OBrien by Jennifer Rowe

• Hardcover: 250 pages
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (January 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590585437
• ISBN-13: 978-1590585436

 Book Description

---

Publication Date: January 3, 2012

She stared into the speckled mirror, wondering how she had come to this. How could she, Holly Love, apple of her parents' eye, competent manipulator of invoices in Gorgon Office Supplies, have ended up alone and starving in a dead man's flat?

How indeed? Most reluctant heroines would throw in the towel at this point. But Holly Love is made of sterner stuff. She's sworn to track down the cheating swine who ripped her life apart, and make him pay. But as she tries to keep her head in the face of a bizarre mystery, a gloomy old house, a hearse-driving Elvis impersonator and a gang of vengeful thugs - not to mention a garrulous and possibly possessed parrot - Holly is forced to come to terms with a great truth. However bad things seem, they can always get worse.

About the Author

 

Jennifer Rowe is a devotee of the murder mystery genre; she enjoys reading these 'extended brainteasers' as much as writing them. A multi-award winning writer, Jennifer is the author of the Verity Birdwood and Tessa Vance mysteries, and creator of the television series Murder Call. Now she brings us the adventures of a new and reluctant/accidental P.I., Holly Love


My Review

I really enjoyed this quirky Australian set mystery novel about accidental private investigator Holly Love. The story starts off with Holly preparing for her wedding day to a man she only known a short period of time.  She has foolishly put all of her saving into a joint account with him...you can start to see the writing on the wall here!  But the story takes some interesting twists and turns as Holly inadvertently takes over the dead O'Brien's detective agency.

This book is full of fascinating and interesting characters.  I loved that it was set in the Blue Mountains in Australia.  And I loved the fast moving plot.

I highly recommend this mystery novel from Poisoned Pen Press and I'm looking forward to more Holly Love adventures.
 

Review: The Summer Garden by Sherryl Woods

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Mira (January 31, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778313093
• ISBN-13: 978-0778313090

Book Description

Series: Chesapeake Shores | Publication Date: January 31, 2012

 

Falling for “Maddening Moira” O’Malley was the unexpected highlight of Luke O’Brien’s Dublin holiday. So when she pays a surprise visit to Chesapeake Shores, Luke is thrilled…at first. A fling with this wild Irish rose is one thing, but forever? Maybe someday, but not when he’s totally focused on establishing a business that will prove his mettle to his overachieving family. Given Luke’s reaction, Moira has some soul - searching of her own to do. Scarred by her father’s abandonment, she wonders if Luke, with his playboy past, is truly the family man she longs for. Adding to her dilemma, she’s offered an amazing chance at a dream career of her own. Deep down, though, Moira knows home is the real prize, and that love can be every bit as enchanted as a summer garden.

About the Author

 

With her roots firmly planted in the South, Sherryl Woods has written many of her more than 100 books in that distinctive setting, whether her home state of Virginia, her adopted state, Florida, or her much-adored South Carolina. She's also especially partial to small towns, wherever they may be. A member of Novelists Inc., Sisters in Crime and Romance Writers of America, Sherryl divides her time between her childhood summer home overlooking the Potomac River in Colonial Beach, Virginia, and her oceanfront home, with its lighthouse view, in Key Biscayne, Florida. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.



My Review

I have been following Sherryl Woods Chesapeake Shores series so I couldn't wait any longer to read this latest addition.  Luke O'Brien met Moira O'Malley while the family was in Dublin for Christmas.  Moira tags along with her grandfather when he comes to visit Nell O'Brien in America.  Luke is in the midst of setting up his new business,an Irish pub.  Although Moira could be the one Luke keeps letting her know that his new business is his number one priority.  Will she wait for him?

This book continues the love story of Nell and Moira's grandfather.  Predictable story but great writing from Sherryl Woods makes this entire series worth reading.

Hightly recommend if you enjoy a good love story.

Review: Zero Day by David Baldacci

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (October 31, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446573019
• ISBN-13: 978-0446573016

Book Description

 

Publication Date: October 31, 2011

From David Baldacci-the modern master of the thriller and #1 worldwide bestselling novelist-comes a new hero: a lone Army Special Agent taking on the toughest crimes facing the nation.

And Zero Day is where it all begins....

John Puller is a combat veteran and the best military investigator in the U.S. Army's Criminal Investigative Division. His father was an Army fighting legend, and his brother is serving a life sentence for treason in a federal military prison. Puller has an indomitable spirit and an unstoppable drive to find the truth.

Now, Puller is called out on a case in a remote, rural area in West Virginia coal country far from any military outpost. Someone has stumbled onto a brutal crime scene, a family slaughtered. The local homicide detective, a headstrong woman with personal demons of her own, joins forces with Puller in the investigation. As Puller digs through deception after deception, he realizes that absolutely nothing he's seen in this small town, and no one in it, are what they seem. Facing a potential conspiracy that reaches far beyond the hills of West Virginia, he is one man on the hunt for justice against an overwhelming force.

David Baldacci is one of the world's favorite storytellers. His books are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with over 110 million copies in print. David Baldacci is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. Still a resident of his native Virginia, he invites you to visit him at www.DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at www.WishYouWellFoundation.org, and to look into its program to spread books across America at www.FeedingBodyandMind.com.

Biography

David Baldacci was born in Virginia, in 1960, where he currently resides. He received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University and a law degree from the University of Virginia. Mr. Baldacci practiced law for nine years in Washington, D.C., as both a trial and corporate attorney.
David Baldacci has published seventeen novels: Absolute Power, Total Control, The Winner, The Simple Truth, Saving Faith, Wish You Well, Last Man Standing, The Christmas Train, Split Second, Hour Game, The Camel Club, The Collectors, Simple Genius, Stone Cold, and The Whole Truth; and in his young adult series, Freddy and the French Fries: Fries Alive! and Freddy and the French Fries: The Adventures of Silas Finklebean. He has also published a novella for the Dutch entitled Office Hours, written for Holland's Year 2000 "Month of the Thriller." Baldacci authored a short story, "The Mighty Johns," as part of a mystery anthology published in 2002.

My Review

This is the first book by David Baldacci that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  The John Puller of Zero Day has been compared to Lee Child's Jack Reacher whom I adore.  I do see the similarities but as far as I'm concerned you can never have too much Jack Reacher!

Good story, lots of action, lots of twists and turns.  Great read that I highly recommend.

Review: V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: A Marian Wood Book/Putnam (November 14, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399157867
• ISBN-13: 978-0399157868

Book Description

 

Series: Kinsey Millhone Mystery | Publication Date: November 14, 2011

 

A spiderweb of dangerous relationships lies at the heart of V is for Vengeance, Sue Grafton's daring new Kinsey Millhone novel. 

A woman with a murky past who kills herself-or was it murder? A spoiled kid awash in gambling debt who thinks he can beat the system. A lovely woman whose life is about to splinter into a thousand fragments. A professional shoplifting ring working for the Mob, racking up millions from stolen goods. A wandering husband, rich and ruthless. A dirty cop so entrenched on the force he is immune to exposure. A sinister gangster, conscienceless and brutal. A lonely widower mourning the death of his lover, desperate for answers, which may be worse than the pain of his loss. A private detective, Kinsey Millhone, whose thirty-eighth-birthday gift is a punch in the face that leaves her with two black eyes and a busted nose.

And an elegant and powerful businessman whose dealings are definitely outside the law: the magus at the center of the web.

V: Victim. Violence. Vengeance.


About The Author

New York Times-bestselling author Sue Grafton is published in twenty-eight countries and twenty-six languages--including Estonian, Bulgarian, and Indonesian. Books in her alphabet series, begun in 1982, are international bestsellers with readership in the millions. And like Raymond Chandler and Ross Macdonald, Grafton has earned new respect for the mystery form. Readers appreciate her buoyant style, her eye for detail, her deft hand with character, her acute social observances, and her abundant storytelling prowess. She has been named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America (2009) and is a recipient of the Ross Macdonald Literary Award (2004).

Sue Grafton has been married to Steve Humphrey for more than thirty years, and they divide their time between Montecito, California, and Louisville, Kentucky, where she was born and raised. Grafton, who has three children and four grandchildren, loves cats, gardens, and good cuisine.

My Review

This series by Sue Grafton is one of the best out there.  Kinsey Millhone is a heroine we can all relate to.  I have read this entire series from beginning to end twice and I never tire of these adventures.  It has been a long two year wait but V is for Vengeance is a wonderful addition to the series.

This is a straight up mystery thriller that kept me turning the pages quickly.  Kinsey is hired by a man searching for the reasons that his fiance has died.  As Kinsey begins her investigation she discovers there is much more to the man's fiance than he ever dreamed.  There are also several substories going on that all come together in the end.  My favorite part involved disappearing designer dresses.  Lots of action and a great story!

Highly recommend this fabulous mystery by Sue Grafton.